Fun at Gamma's

Yesterday Jason and Mamie's little ones came over for "Art and Music".  Since they are home schooled, I get to teach the arts to them.  Shea and Laine are both learning guitar, they are both making their own quilts, sometimes we draw and paint, sometimes we cook, sing, dance.  It is always a fun time.  Yesterday they helped me put up my tree and then we did some Christmas cooking.

This was the first order of business.  I took all of the butter out of the refrigerator and discovered this?  Who has been eating this stick of butter?  After a forensic dental exam on all three of them, I have narrowed my list of suspects, but that person has denied the crime.  Those are definitely teeth marks!

It was decided that Dallas would help me make a batch of fudge.  I am not a good fudge maker, but I decided to try the Hershey's Cocoa Fudge recipe because it is supposed to be the best.  It was, however, considered an "Advanced Difficulty" recipe-----using a candy thermometer.  Dallas and I followed the recipe to the letter.

Dallas is a good "cooker".  He can add sugar to a bowl like a pro.  While I stood at the stove and watched the boiling cauldron of chocolate Christmas bliss and  sang along with the Christmas songs  blaring from the CD player(the kids always think it has to be as loud as it can go) this is what was going on :  Dress Up with Auntie Rachel's old dance costumes!

Evidently all that money we paid for those costumes have been well worth the cost.  When the fudge was finished boiling and then cooling, I beat it with a wooden spoon just like the recipes said-----but it almost set up in the pot.  I did get it into the pan and this was the results:

Yummy!

I was just testing Laine's gag reflex!

If you want to come by for some homemade fudge, this will be sitting outside my door.  Help yourself. 

 Now was Laine's turn to help cook.  We made peanut butter fudge and it turned out much better.

Really yummy. 

Shea and I decided to try another batch of the Hershey's Cocoa Fudge.  This time I didn't rely on that candy thermometer--I think it needs to be thrown away.  I did the old "drop a bit in cold water and watching it make a soft ball" and it turned out really well.  Not gagging this time. 

Are these the teeth of the crime?